Crusher-shaft nut.



W. S. WESTON.

CRUSHER SHAFT NUT. APPLICATION HLED NOV. 19, 1914.

143,0Q5g rammed June 15 1915.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Pafijlmtmdl June 15., $9115.,

Application filed November 19. 1914. Serial It'd 873,015.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VVILLIAM; S. Wnscrou, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbia, in the county of Richland and State of South Carolina, have invented a new and useful Crusher-Shaft Nut, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to a novel and improved adjusting nut adapted to beemployed for supporting the pendant or suspended shaft of a gyratory crusher employed for crushing stone, ores, and other materials, and which shaft is subjected to severe strains in use. 1

Ordinarily, in a gyratory crusher, the shaft is supported and adjusted vertically by means of an ordinary nut threaded upon the shaft and resting upon the bearing of the frame, but this has been found, not infrequently, to be the cause of considerable Thus, after the nut is threaded properly onto the crusher shaft, it is usually held in place by a keying, locking or clamping device to prevent the rotation of the nut upon the shaft, but these have been inadequate for the purposes. The crusher shaft is subjected to considerable stresses and strains, which results in ashearing action upon the threads of the shaft and nut, which not only in many cases injures the threads, but also strips or shears the threads loose, and allows the crusher shaft to drop, thereby wrecking the crusher. Owing to the very limited space in the spider hub, it is a very diflicult matter to lock the adjusting nut satisfactorily, and even the attempts that have been made to lock the adjusting nut upon the shaft, have not proved successful, since the threads would sooner or later give enough toallow the threads to be ruined. The ruining of the threads is troublesome and. expensive, since the parts must be taken apart, and it is also a cumbersome and expensive operation to rethread the parts, the crusher shafts usually being from six to eighteen or more inches in diameter.

This invention contemplates the provision of an adjusting nut, which when once assembled upon the. shaft will support the weight of the crusher shaft in a thoroughly eflicient manner, and whereby the nut cannot possibly become loosened, and will grip the shaft tighter, the greater is the weight or strainto which the crusher shaft is subjected. It is also within the scope of the invention, to provide a crusher shaft adjusting nut of comparatively simple, compact and inexpensive construction, which may be readily. applied to and adjusted upon the crusher shaft, and which will be eficient and thoroughly practical in its use. a

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made w1thin the scope of what is claimed, without I departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in its pre ferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmental view of a crusher, illustrating the present nut in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the present nut. Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation of one ofthe threaded segments.

In the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the supportin frame of the crusher, which is usually in t e form of a spider having a central hub, from which the crusher sha 2 is suspended The center or hub of the frame 1 is provided, as usual, with the bore 3 in which a bushing or bearing 4 is seated, there being a counter bore or recess 5 at the upper end of the bore 3 and above the bearing or bushing 4:. A cap 6 is mounted upon the central portion of the hub of frame 1 over the counter bore 5 to conceal the crusher shaft and adjusting nut. The upper end of the crusher shaft 2 is threaded, as at 2*, for the engagement of the adjusting nut crusher shaft in pendant position.

The present adjusting nut, designated generally by the numeral 7 embodies an annulus or ring 8 of inverted frusto-conical form, which flares upwardly or tapers downwardly. Disposed within the annulus or which seats upon the bearing or bushing 4 within the counterbore 5 to support the shell '8 are a plurality of arcuate wedgeshaped segments 9, which have their outer faces curved and tapered downwardly to fit snugly against the smooth'interior of the annulus 8. The outer faces of the segments 9 are smooth, whereby the segments and annulus may rotate relative to one another without interference, and the segments 9 are" relatively large in number, and have their shghtly relative to one another in accommodatmg thenrushershaft threads 2. .The inner facespf the segments 9 are ;1s placed in position upon the crusher aft.

It is preferable to provide each of the segments9 with an eye bolt .11 having its shank threaded into the upper or butt end of the segment, whereby the segment may be readily, handled in applying, adjusting or removing the nut.

The annulus or shell 8" is preferably formed; of steel or similar material, having portion 2 of the shaft, to overcome the obits bore. reamed out to a uniform downward taper, while the segments 9 are preferably formed from soft metal of suitable character, to reduce the probable injury of the crusher shaft threads to-a minimum. The threads 10 in the faces or front sides of the segments 9 may be molded or machined to fit the threads. of the shaft.

In applying the adjusting nut? to the crusher, the cap 6 is removed, and the crusher shaft 2 is supported while the annulus 8 is placed over the upper threaded end of the crusher shaft and seated upon the bushing 4. .The segments 9 are then dropped within the annulus .8, so that the curved backs or outer sides of the segments rest snugly against the interior of the annulus, andwhereby the threads of the seg-' ments properly engage the threads 2 of the crusher shaft. The crusher shaft is then released so that it drops slightly, and the threads of the crusher shaft and segments being interengaged, will cause the segments to be moved downwardly with the crusher shaft, and the segments being moved downwardly within the tapered bore of the annulus 8 will cause the segments to bind tightly against the crusher shaft. Thus, the segments will grip the'crusher shaft firmly, to suspend the same, and without the liability of the nut becoming loosened, or the threads becoming injured. The greater the weight or strain to which the crusher shaft is subjected, the greater will be the gripping action of the segments 9 upon the threaded jections which are to be avoided.

To adjust the nut, thev crusher shaft 2 is raised, which will carry the segments 9 upwardly therewith, while the annulus 8 remains seated upon the bushing 4, so that the segments 9 may be loosened and readjusted as-desired. The eye belts or screws 11 enart'to'enable. Ebe P be necessary to raise able the same 9 to be readily handled- When the crusher shaft is raised, the segments may be rotated about the shaft, for purpose of adjusting them.

' The present nut may be applied to ordinary crusher shafts, and even to crusher shafts having their threads ruined or damaged. Thus, by employing soft segments 9, they will conform themselyes to the damaged threads of the crusher shaft, without greatly impairing the qualities of the nut as a means for supporting the crusher shaft.

If desired, the threaded portion 2 of the shaft, and the threads 10 of the segments 9 may be substituted by annular or arcuate grooves, which do not extend spirally or helically as do the screw threads, and in which event the segments 9 may engage the annular grooves of the crusher shaft at various positions about the crusher shaft, and may also move relative to the crusher shaft, without effecting an adjustment of the parts. Thus, to adjust the parts, it would the segments are loosened, and then to readjust the segments as desired, in which event, the crusher shaft can again be lowered ,to cause the binding action to take place between the segments 9 and annulus 8.

-Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the character described,

van annulus having a downwardly tapered bore, and a number of wedge-shaped arcuate segments disposed within the annulus, the outer faces of the segments being curved and tapered to fit snugly within the said bore, and the inner faces of the segments being provided with threads, the segments having elements at their upper ends for handling them. I

2. In a device of the character described, an annulus having a downwardly tapered bore, a number of Wedge-shaped arcuate seg-' ments disposed within the annulus, the outer faces of the segments being curved and taperedto fit snugly within the said bore, and the inner faces of the segments being provided with threads, and eye elements attached to the upper ends of the segments for handling them.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. WESTON. Witnesses:

- B. O. BROOKER,

F. S. BULL.

the crusher shaft until i 

